Aceh gains autonomy after legislation passes

The World Today - Wednesday, 12 July , 2006 12:42:00

Reporter: Simon Lauder

ELEANOR HALL: Indonesia has for the first time opened the way for local political parties to be formed in Aceh, as part of a deal with former separatist activists in the province.

The Indonesian Parliament has passed legislation giving autonomy to the northern province of Aceh and sealing the negotiated peace deal.

But while Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize over the deal, there are claims that Indonesian police have already violated the agreement.

Simon Lauder has this report.

SIMON LAUDER: It's been almost a year since the Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian Government reached an agreement, ending about three decades of conflict in the province.

The military presence in Aceh was blamed for the deaths of some 15,000 people.

Last August, the Free Aceh Movement, or GAM, agreed to drop its demand for independence in exchange for the Bill that has now passed the Indonesian Parliament. And it delivers more than just peace.

DAMIEN KINGSBURY: Most Importantly, what this agreement has done has been to create a democratic space in Aceh, a genuine democratic space.

SIMON LAUDER: Deakin University's Damien Kingsbury was an adviser to GAM during last year's peace talks.

He says the Indonesian Government has opened the way for the people of Aceh to elect their own representatives later this year.

DAMIEN KINGSBURY: The Acehnese will largely have control over their own affairs. Of course, there are some matters which will still devolve to the Government in Jakarta, such as foreign affairs, communications, external defence and so on.

More importantly, I think that there will be a local representative process.

SIMON LAUDER: The new local government of the resource-rich province will get 70 per cent of revenues from Aceh's oil and gas reserves.

But Damien Kingsbury says there's concern the agreement reached last year has been weakened in the final draft.

Associate Professor Kingsbury says the ongoing role of the military is vague under the Bill, which doesn't allow proper prosecution for past human rights abuses and also leaves Jakarta largely in control of Aceh's foreign aid and foreign investment.

He says that's already sparked protest.

DAMIEN KINGSBURY: There was a strike called by the Aceh Referendum Information Centre, which is an umbrella NGO (non-governmental organisation) for groups in Aceh. So they distributed leaflets calling for a general strike, which was largely recognised. Most shops and transport wasn't running yesterday.

But unfortunately the police have now arrested a number of organisers from this NGO, and in contravention, I might say, of both the Memorandum of Understanding and Indonesian law. And these people have been held captive now since Monday, and we don't know where they are.

There's also been a few shootings of civilians in the last few weeks too, which have indicated that there were some in the armed forces who were trying to derail the process.

SIMON LAUDER: Despite the misgivings of the armed forces, who've effectively ruled Aceh for about 30 years, Aceh now has partial self rule, a middle ground between the prospects of separatism and continued conflict.

Damien Kingsbury says it's a success for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, one that may strengthen the case for change in Papua province and the President's chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

DAMIEN KINGSBURY: One would think that he would see this as now offering a model for the resolution of conflicts elsewhere, in particular in West Papua, and seeing if it would be possible to talk to people there about coming up with a similar sort of arrangement.

SIMON LAUDER: He's in the running for the Nobel Prize. Do you think he's looking good on that front?

DAMIEN KINGSBURY: Well, it's interesting that he would be nominated for the Nobel Prize.

Whilst he was ultimately responsible for the success of the peace agreement and he gave it his stamp of approval, he was never at any stage directly or actively involved in the process.

But finally, I think that there's also credit due to the people of Aceh for having had to put up with for so long a brutal military presence in Aceh and finally embracing peace when they were given the opportunity to do so.